Reviews by wchesak:

Beer pours a ruby copper color with an off white/buttermilk colored head, about a fingers worth. About halfway through the head is gone, almost looks like i have poured some bourbon in my chalice.The hops have definitely lasted much longer than expected, however they are not taking a leading role like they would have earlier in the life of this beer. It is more sweet, resiny like a chocolate covered hop or chocolate covered pineapple upside down cake. The hop in the taste comes through differently, more medicinal and piney. The malt is a bakers/bittersweet chocolate that is rather intense. The last half of the glass is full of settled dregs. The consistency of a watery chocolate milk. Overall glad to get a hold of a bottle even if its almost 4 years old. Paired it with homemade tandoori chicken, basmati rice, and naan. Good stuff.

I have very eagerly anticipated this beer for a longtime now thank you Orfeu for the bottles.Poures a deep burnt orange with a pillowey slight off one finger head that settles nice ans slowly leaving a thick ring of lace behind,hop complexity in the nose I pick up some apricot and leafiness as well as oddly enough a nutty character,obviously the pine and citric fruit was there maybe that dont even need to be mentioned.The alcohol presence in this beer doesnt shy away from being noticed right away quite warm on the inside a little stinging with big resiny hop character takes over after that intial alc punch big and piney with residual sweetness from hefty dose of malt to back the huge load of hops.Finishing with that apricot-like fruitiness and alcohol warmth again,like apricots soaked in vodka.Whoo this isnt for the faint of heart and I am not its hugely hoppy and the alcohol takes no prisoners its an awesome brew that should be sipped or it will leave a mark.

I had a ridiculous allergic reaction to this beer that included an 8 hour long migraine like sinus headache and a sinus infection that lasted a couple of days but if I had to go through that again to taste this beer, I might consider it. Its that good. Note to self, I need to figure out which hop/hops in this beer really bother me: Summit, Chinook, Crystal and Simcoe hops. I have a similar problem with Ruination.

Appearance: Dark pumpkin with ruby highlights and a long lasting, clingy, sticky lace.

Aroma: Ridiculously aromatic. Topical and citric with a surprisingly hefty amount of sweet caramel. Fruit salad served in pine resin.

Very drinkable in general but sadly not for me. 10 ounces into it my nose was clogged, 5 ounces later I started wheezing, by the end of the bomber I was getting a head ache. Curse these damned allergies!

This beer has a very slow, creeping carbonation toils its way through a hazy penny-copper beer to a large and sturdy eggshell head. There is a very soft and understated bouquet of peaches, soft florals, faint yeast, and notes of cherry and tangerine.

Resinous and spicy hops hit first, followed by a slight alcohol burn. Pineapple, apple, and peppery flavors come out a bit later. There is a buttery character that turns to something more like honey as the beer warms. This beer is remarkable because it maintains a very forceful bitterness while staying pretty smooth.

Mouthfeel was alittle on the light-bodied side for the style and this was very drinkable considering the bittering.

Dangerously drinkable and very potent, this beer lived up to the hype as far as I'm concerned. The beer pored a deep brown color with a beautiful thick off white head. The beer smelled like candied hops, that's the only way I can describe it. Great sweet maltiness mixed in with huge citrus hops and a candy like scent. The flavor was outstanding. Reminded me of a more complex and aged Arrogant Bastard. Very hoppy but what I love about the beer was the great tasting malt(s) used to balance the flavor and add more character. Very citrusy hops and the malts were nice and robust and mixed in nicely with the slight alchoholic flavors in the finish. All in all this one is great to drink now but I have a feeling that it will only get better with age.

From notes. 22oz bomber. Pours a copper orange hue that's quite dark. A nice half inch of light tan head on top as well. Looks great in the glass with good clarity. Aromas burst out of the glass with an onslaught of thick hop oil fumes. Pine aromas intertwine with massive citric/tropical notes. I get a big pineapple/mango aroma off this brew. Smooth caramel malts underneath. Quite simply a beautiful, enticing aroma that makes it hard for me to put my glass down.

First sip brings a rush of hop oils right off the bat along with a velvety smooth caramel maltiness. A superb hop profile with a mix of pine resin and vibrant tropical, citrus flavors. A touch of pineapple surfaces again. Flows down with a touch of alcohol and a big, bold bitterness that is to be expected. A massively tasty brew that brings the hops without remorse. Yum.

Mouthfeel is big and very smooth & creamy with just enough carbonation. The big alcohol is very well masked, making this one hell of a tasty, drinkable DIPA. I really wish I had more of this and I will keep my fingers crossed that this gets brewed again someday. One of the best DIPA's to cross my lips.

Tons of citrus and pine sap in the nose, plenty of floral hints as well. Grapefruit and tangerines form most of this. A good bit of caramel malts add to the sweetness but offers some balance to the hops.

Pretty tasty brew here, lots of hops but actually has some malt to balance this a bit...its still a double but isn't straight hop juice. Quite bitter...lots of citrus and pine hops again, a little resiny. Again a touch of grapefruit but with some more citrus fruits coming in as well. The alcohol is evident but doesn't deter the flavor much.

Nice thick mouthfeel, coats the mouth well and allows the bitterness to grab hold and not leave. Carbonation is good as well, the crispness works well with the hops.

Drinkability is top notch. Nice healthy hop flavors that have a bit of balance to it. A lot of alcohol but it all works in well. Good stuff...up there with ruination as one of my favorite dipa's.

22 oz bottle. Pours a clear, light reddish amber with a creamy off white head that retains fairly well and laces the glass some.

The aroma is resiny, piney, grapefruity, floral, peppery hops. More tropical fruits and some alcohol come out. As it warms, the alcohol gets to be a bit much. The original whiff was a 10, but the fusel alcohol and mustiness brings it down some.

The flavor is sweet and fruity caramel malts leading to a big peppery hop bitterness. There is a little alcohol bite in the finish, but it's masked fairly well. Some of the flavors are a bit harsh, and not well blended. This is a bit of a nitpick - maybe some aging would help smooth it out a bit. The mouthfeel is full and velvety.

Overall, a very good DIPA! I liked this much better than the Ruination. The first few sips were excellent (right up there with Hercules), but as I drank more, it started getting a bit harsh and alcoholic. On the plus side - one of the coolest bottles ever.

Smells of HUGE citrus and piney hops with a certain sweetness from a nice malt backbone. Grapefruitiness also present.

Taste is of grassy, very piney, and floral hoppiness. Sweet malts come through as well, even a tad bit of biscuity flavors try their best to fight there way through the hops but come and go very rapidly, right up front. Lots of alcohol burn in the finish which makes this beer a little less enjoyable/drinkable.

Mouthfeel is very oily, full-bodied and good carbonation.

I wouldnt consider this beer to be very drinkable on the fact that the alcohol is just way too present in the taste.

22 oz bomber with a really expensive silk screened label. Clear copper hue, slow bubbles to the top and a head that will not go away. Tangerines, wild flowers, spearmint, ripe peach and a ruby red grapefruit aroma. Big sweet herbal hop oils evolve into more pungent and bitter flavors of tobacco and citrus rind. Slightly viscous and creamy mouth feel with a full body. Lots of malt, sweet underneath but a warming peppery alcohol helps to keep it in check. Towards the finish is that bitterness that comes back for more ... lovely if you like hoppy which I do.

Firey reds, oranges, and yellows. Very clear. Big ol white head. One whiff is like being beaten about the head by dome goons with a hop bat dipped in caramel. Holy crap. Enourmous hop flavor as well. Bittersweet finish. Kind of think and syrupy on the palate. Ill take an I V of this stuff please.

Found this at The Keg in Clarksville, Indiana, last week. Haven't seen it in Evansville, yet. Beautiful bottle. The Stone Gargoyle has never looked better. Pouring into a large pint glass the body is a radiant orange amber. Excellent clarity, with a two finger ecru head that stays around for several minutes. Lacing is lavish and quite attractive.

Aroma is initially very hoppy, with lots of citrus. Pink grapefruit, orange, and lime zest are complimented by a solid spruce pine note. Bready malt is also noted, and reminds me of DFH 120 Minute. A hint of red apple is sensed in the background, seemingly from the malt.

Mouthfeel is a full medium. Carbonation is ideal for melding the big malts and hops here.

Lovely taste boasts big and juicy citrusy hops. Orange, tangerine, and pink grapefruit add an ideal bittersweet character. Malt character is very intriguing. Reminds me of the rounded breadiness of some of the DFH 90 or 120 Minute IPAs. Works better here. More complex than Stone Ruination or IPA. Uniquely Stone, this is a really fine DIPA. Happy Birthday Stone!

Bottled version, purchased at New Beer in NYC, nice looking bottle, but I'm a sucker for the whole Stone scheme of things. Anyway, this much anticipated treat was poured into a worthy chalice and upon examination revealed itself to exhibit the following characteristics:

A- pours pretty tame/typical almond amber, pretty clear, golden hues, the head is tan, tiny bubble and not particularly long lasting. This one leaves moderate, thick and scattered lacing.

A bright copper color, slightly hazy with a full finger of bright white head with a very aggressive pour...gotta earn your head with this one. Fades pretty darn fast with some spotty lacing left behind.
Huge bouquet up front...boatload of citrus, pine and orange peel.
Tremendous hop profile...accompanied by a touch of alcohol, but well masked when served slightly colder than room temperature.
The malty sweetness, while heavy, is taken over by the overly dry back end...finishes very clean with just a hint of citrus remaining on the pallet.
Mouthfeel is pretty darn thick and the carbonation is where I like to see it. Not a sipper, but by no means a session brew either...will be feeling just right after this bomber.
Overall, a great job by a new brewer to Stone...look forward to many more of his makings.
Fantastic brew to celebrate 10 years!!

Pours a nice amber color with an eggshell colored head. Head has great retention and leaves spotty lacing as well. Smell has a rich scent of pine and grapefruit, leaning more towards the pine-like and resiny aromas. I also get a hint of malt, but it's hidden beneath the bouquet of hops. Taste starts out grapefuity and leads into more pine, but I get more grapefruit and citrus in the taste than in the nose. Taste is full of hops but definately has a strong malt backbone to it with some alcohol warmth in the finish. Carbonation is at about medium levels and the body feels rich and full. Drinkability is good; I could drink plenty of this and wish I had more of it. In comparison to a strict definition of IIPA, this leads more towards the barley wine side being as how a barley wine tends to have more body and a IIPA would be expected to have a more dry finish. Either way I thought this was an excellent beer!

Out of the double-magnum Pours cloudy amber with a rocky white meringue-type head. Nearly overpowering hoppy nose. Lots of pine and grapefruit, almost like fresh-cut wood. More citrus in terms of orange peel. Huge hop taste with a subtle alcohol burn. Loads of grapefruit and resin in this monster, biting you with every sip. Some sweeter citrus as well, oranges, pienapple, and even a little mango. The malt smooths it out a tad in the end, but overall the beer retains the nice hop bite. One of the best.

Poured into a tulip glass,a very thick dense creamy white head.Masses of tightly wound strings of tiney bubbles surge to the top of the glass.A light to medium coppery hue a slight cloudy appearance.A lively looking beer. Extremely tantalizing looking.A lasting head.
Smells citrusy,piney,grapefruity,caramelly,sweet,very complex the aroma makes your mouth water.
Taste piney,resiney,citrusy,grapefruity,carmelly,a warm sensastion of alcohol. An exploision of taste in your mouth.
An amazingly smooth mouthfeel,but thick and chewey in the best possible way.
This beer is so good you don't even think about its drinkability,you just want to drink it all night long. It's hard to believe it's 10% .
This is a great and unforgettable beer,a hopheads dream come true.
The balance and drinkability of this beer is amazing.
I can't believe i'm drinking this beer,I feel like i'm dreaming.

Appearance is a clear amber with a nice foamy slightly off white head with very little lacing. Lets get to the good stuff. Explosion of floral hops, green and more green is all I can think of. Taste is sweet and malty with esters with a nice bittering hop finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and malty with a good deal of carbonation to bite the tongue. One bomber is a great after work or end of the weekend. Thanks to Stone for getting this to the east coast and having a great presence in boston and thanks to the best beer guy in boston(nick @ bauer) for making sure I knew the second the delivery guy hit the door.

This one-time-only brew pours a lush amber color from a capped 750ml bottle. There was very little head to speak of, and what was there, dissipated quickly, leaving lacing. It gives off an aroma of roasted malt and a characteristic that is light, sweet--almost maple syrup-like with a zest of lemon. The hoppy bitterness for which Stone is know dominates the flavor, along with toasted malt, big alcohol (ABV 10%), and some sugar; in fact this beer was far sweeter than anticipated. It is rich and somwhat complex, yet the literally "bitter/sweet" finish is a bit overwrought for my taste, lowering the drinkability. I like the more balanced bitterness and overall flavor of Stone's other strong ales, Arrogant Bastard and Double Bastard, and am thankful that those are here to stay.

Pours copper-colored liquid with a swirling mass of fine bubbles rising up in circles to the top of the glass, leaving a two inch cap of orangey-beige foam with an eneven lunar surface of craters and peaks. The head recedes slowly with long legs of lace reaching toward the rim.

Fine aroma of citrus hops and candy malt, some bubble gum and candy and a bit of vanilla.

Complex flavor of honey and cinnamon, puckery resinous hops with hints of ripe grapefruit and wildflower, grainy candy sugar and ripe green apple. Surprisingly small hint of the power that lurks within.

Mouthfeel is a little slick and syrupy upfront, but delivers a fine alcohol tingle over the tongue, finishes with a little carbonation fizz and leaves a slight burn in the back of the throat.

Awesome beer, thanks to BeerRun13 for throwing this into a recent trade.

What can I say, but 4.5 across the board. This is a truely deligtful beverage! The smell is sweet fruity-grassy floral aroma-very nice. The appreance is an amber, with a somewhat small head (but does size really matter?). The taste is oh so finely balanced between the hops bittering and malty sweetness. The mouthfeel is generally smooth with a slight smack to the posterior 3rd of the glossal apparatus. Highly drinakble at the the ABV. Damn...I must get some more of this fine brew. Seek out and enjoy!

Appearance: Body appears copper ruby roange let's just face it this is ambrosia as in amber nectar of the gods, it simply glows. Head initially forms thick coating jcdiflorio's Mad Elf chalice. Aroma: Succulent layers of grapefruit rind, ruddy earthy dirt tinges, pine cone, with apricot and mild pineapple highlights...deep sugary sweet malt base, massive amounts of specialty malts blended to bring balance to this raw unrefined hop explosion that some would argue borders a barleywine. Either way it's amazing! Taste: Thoroughly expressive on both ends of the malt and hop caracteristics, yet the equilibrium of the two is found in a harmoniously unmatched combonation, I've yet experienced in my beer drinking. Soft yet abrasive with sweet sugary alcoholic hop bursts exploding on the palate. So worthy of a Stone 10th celebration combines extreme yet completely balanced flavors. Truely raw hops include ripe apricot, bitter rinds with a multitude of citrus fruits blended with warming alcohol that was fermented out to 10 percent abv. Sticky pine erupts in the flavor to a beer that only Stone is capable of. Mouthfeel: Full syrupy body resinous flow of hop oils this one brings it all together with even smooth carbonation with a touch of alcohol burn to lively up the palate. Drinkability: Not just another double IPA trying to out do the competition...this is a true original expression of a brewmaster's talent. Yes a ton of hops and malts don't always equate to a great creation, but in this case we're nearing perfection.